We've Been 2nd Class Citizens for Some Time...

We went to breakfast after church this morning with our friends Dustin and Elizabeth. They noticed that we got "rolled eyes" and whispers as soon as we sat down with our two boys. I guess we are so used to it, we don't even notice it anymore. Its not that Brady and Cameron were disruptive in the restaurant...in fact they were quite good. But, this is not uncommon. It happens almost every time we are seated in a restaurant, and it has been going on ever since we started going out with both boys. It is not uncommon for us to be seated in a corner, which I don't mind...as long as there are other families in the same section.

People can be down-right rude. Two weeks ago at Texas Roadhouse, a middle aged-couple were seated right next to us (Cameron was asleep and Brady was quietly playing with the crayons). The woman looked right at our table and said to the waitress, "Can you put us somewhere else where it will be a little more peaceful?" Yesterday at the supermarket, Cameron was having a rare crying moment because he was trying to fall asleep. I had stopped to rock his carrier and get the bottle. A young couple walked by and looked at Cameron, started to shake their head, and as they walked by me, they said to their one-year old.."Good thing you don't act like that little boy." I wanted to go over and punch them in the face.

To all you people who pass judgement...get a life! My kids are EXTREMELY well behaved. I can take them just about anywhere and they are very polite. If for some reason they are not having a good day and start to become disruptive, I would leave. I am NOT one of "those" parents who lets them ruin a meal for everyone else in the room.

I HATE people who have no clue.

A Great Easter!

Easter 2008 was a success! We had Erica's Family over for a late lunch. Everyone pitched in so we didn't have to do it all which was very nice! It was a nice relaxing day. the kids played the adults talked! All in all a fun day!

The Easter Bunny Came to Town!

Oh Brady.........No!

It would appear that Brady is officially potty trained. At this point, he is able to tell us when he needs to use the bathroom to do his "business." Now we just have to get him to use less toilet paper! We still have him wear a pull-up at naptime and bedtime, although it is rare for him to wake up from his nap wet.

Nice job Brady! Erica and I are thrilled that we don't have to buy diapers anymore for him...although we still have Cameron's to buy.

The many faces of Cameron

Cameron has been eating solid food for about a month now, here are some pictures of him enjoying his squash!

Hippity hoppity Easter's on its way!

On Friday I only have one daycare child so, although it is a tight squeeze I can fit all three kids in the car and we go to play gym in hampstead. This week the Easter bunny was there. I didn't think that Brady would sit on his lap but to my surprise he did. Twice no less. Cameron had no problem with it, he really liked how soft Mr. Easter bunny was.

Tubby Time!

It amazes us because it seems like just yesterday, Brday was taking baths in the kitchen sink. Now it is Cameron's turn. (In case you were wondering, Brady is the shot with the rubber duckie, taken in March of 2006).

The Boys

They are starting to play well together...

Family Update March 2008, by the Stack Boys

Mama and Dada asked us to write the family update for the blog. Here's what's happening in our family right now:

Dada is just finishing his school vacation. He used the time to finish up the bathroom, and he also moved his computer from the basement into the closet upstairs (to give us more room to play). Mama went for a job interview at Imajine That in Lawrence. If all goes well, she will be teaching some group classes at night for special needs children and their families, and she will be a preschool teacher for their new integrated preschool in Haverhill next fall. Brady is still working on his potty training, which has its ups and downs. Finally, Cameron is fighting off another bronculitis attack, complete with coughing and wheezing. Cam has learned to roll over and is getting quite good at using two hands to play with toys. Next stop for him: sitting up!

That's all for now. Talk to you soon,

Brady & Cameron

Welcome to the Jungle!

In order to make the playroom a little safer and kid-friendly, we dressed up the columns by turning them into jungle trees with some brown carpet and ivy garland. We might actually turn the entire basement into a jungle theme at some point.

Cameron's Baptism

Cameron is official (at least according to the Catholic Church). He was baptised yesterday at All Saints Church in Haverhill, MA. The godparents are my brother Jason and my sister Alyssa. Since my brother is stationed in London and couldn't comr home, my father stood in as a proxy. Check out the pictures and video we put together (many thanks to Shanna and Dave for taking so many good pictures and video scenes!)

Bath Renovation Complete

The downstairs bathroom is complete (at least for know, until we tile the floor). We stripped the wallpaper, installed new hardware, refinished the vanity, put in new light fixtures, installed an exhaust fan, put up a chair rail, and painted the room a nice light brown (Behr Toasted Cashew, to be exact). It looks like a whole new place. Total cost: About $500.

Its Potty Training Time!

Today we decided it was finally time to start potty training. Now, we bought Brady his own potty a few months ago, and he does know how to use it to pee.

Today, we let Brady where his "big-boy underwear." We explained to him that he would have to go pee on the big potty whenever he needs to pee. Despite a couple accidents, this had been working very well. Each time he went, he got a sticker for his chart.

Our biggest concern was going to be how Brady would fair when it came time to poop. He had NEVER used the potty for this. So, we explained to him that he would have to let us know when he needed to poop. As we were making breakfast, Brady came flying into the living room and headed towards the bathroom. "I go poop!" he shouted. Sure enough, we sat him on the potty, and he went!!! We were in shock!!!!

So, we aren't out of the woods yet, but it seems as though potty training has been very successful so far. We'll keep you updated.

The Next American Idol

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ramblings...

I've spent a lot of time thinking about life these past few weeks. This is what I've come up with so far.

On The Patriots: They say "nobody's perfect." And yet, the Pats have a chance to do something tonight that no one has ever done. It makes me wonder...what will happen tomorrow, win or lose? What will the Pats be remembered for? Will it be their season, their stats, spygate? I think in the end, this will just be another chapter in the Patriots history book. Tomorrow, we are all 0-0 again, and people will start thinking about the draft....and those Sox!

On Leap Year Day: We all had a "piggy bank" as a kid. Maybe now it is a jar. We put all that spare change in it so that one day we'll have enough money to actually buy something useful. Even banks offer those "keep the change" accounts that put all that money away. Nobody saves up all that money only to spend it on something they don't want. So why is it that Leap Year Day is not a holiday? Why do we have work? We save up that time, a little bit every day. After four years, we have enough time to make a day. It should be a holiday, so we can actually spend it how we want. I think I'll email my Senator...

Hokie Pokie Mamas!

Family Update!

Yes, we haven't blogged in a while. To be honest, we've all been battling a cold. I think Brady got it first, then he passed it on to Cameron (who, BTW, we've decided to officially nickname "McLovin"), and he finally passed it to me. Erica is now finishing up with it. Anyways, all that aside, there is much to report in Ye ole' Stack shack.

Cameron's Baptism: As you can see, we were completely unoriginal and decided to take the same picture of Cameron as we did Brady for his baptism. I think Cameron's came out much better....it is much easier to make him smile! We are planning to have his baptism the last week in February. My brother and sister will be the godparents (although I don't think Jay will be able to come out from London).

Cameron's four-month update: Well, at his check-up this week, he is pushing the 75th percentile for weight and 95th for height. This actually puts him taller than Brady at the same age. We've also dablled a bit with baby food, but Cam doesn't seem to be quite ready for it yet. He can go all night without a meal, but he still seems to wake up every 3-4 hours. It is alomst as though he hits the top of his sleep cycle and wakes up. Sometimes we go in, most of the time we don't. So, it is a battle, but hopefully in the near-future he will "officially" be sleeping through the night (which we consider to be 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep).

Erica's daycare is in full-swing, she now has just about a full load of kids. It is demanding work, and she basically goes all day withou a break. She has signed up at the gym, so when I get home from work, she usually leaves for some much-needed "Erica time".

Work for me is going well...I'm finding lately that I have gotten much better at my "detective" capabilities. Some days I feel like a police officer! :)

Go Pats!

New Videos

Big Shoes To Fill

I've decided to start picking out my own clothes. Although I rarely pick out things that match, Mama sometimes lets me wear what I want. On Saturday, Mama dressed me a nice button-down flannel shirt. But I know the Pats were going to be playin, so I went upstairs and put on my Pats jersey. I don't think I had it on right, but hey, I'm two, give me a break!

-Brady